Blue Water Tackle Shop: Bait, Tackle and Fishing Charters at South Beach Marina

Sells

bait, tackle, crabbing gear, rods, apparel

Charters

private fishing and cruising trips

Since

1979

Open

every day, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Bait, Tackle and Crabbing Gear

Blue Water Tackle Shop is at South Beach Marina, 232 S. Sea Pines Drive, Suite 308, and has been open since 1979. For bait it stocks frozen shrimp, squid and mullet and chicken necks for crabbing, with hooks, rigs, floats, weights and lures. Rods and reels come from brands including Penn, Okuma, Daiwa and Zebco, and it sells cast nets, minnow traps, basket traps and long-handle nets. There is a line-winding machine, so the staff will spool your reel.

Starter Packages for Visitors

Visitors who left their gear at home can buy one of two package deals. The surf fishing package includes a rod and reel, hooks, a wire bottom rig with a two-ounce weight, a pole holder, a pound of frozen squid and a small bait knife. The backwater and lagoon package includes a rod and reel, a 10-pack of hooks, a popping-cork float rig and a tub of frozen shrimp. The shop also sells beginner rod-and-reel combinations and starter kits for kids.

Fishing Charters from the Marina

The shop books fishing charters from the marina docks. The boat on its website is Salty Dog, a 23-foot Grady-White with a Coast Guard-licensed captain, licensed for up to six passengers, for fishing, cruising or both. Booking is online or at (843) 671-3060. For the other trips that leave the island’s docks, see deep-sea fishing.

Fishing Rules for Visitors

The shop’s own fishing FAQ says a $5 permit is required to fish within Sea Pines, and that anyone 16 or older needs a South Carolina fishing license, available from the state. Crabbing needs no license, with a limit of three lines or traps per person, and blue crabs must be at least 5 inches across the shell. The Hilton Head fishing guide covers the island’s spots.

What Anglers Say

Anglers praise staff who help beginners find what they need: the shop replaced a nine-year-old’s broken rod without hesitation, and a visitor says the shrimp helped catch several fish. Charter customers describe trips on the shop’s boats where children caught baby sharks, and several are repeat customers.

Planning a Visit

The shop is open every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is one of the businesses at South Beach Marina, with the South Beach General Store and Jake’s Cargo nearby. It also sells Blue Water T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug repellent and nautical charts.